ASPIRIN could be prescribed to try to prevent bowel cancer for those in a high-risk group.
A Cancer Research UK study found a small daily dose offers protection for people with Lynch syndrome.
More than half of people with the genetic condition develop bowel cancer at some point in their life.
Experts will apply for a prescription license to give “baby” 75mg pills to the nearly 200,000 Brits with Lynch syndrome.
CRUK said fewer than half of GPs knew they should prescribe aspirin to Lynch syndrome patients and many were worried about the dose size.
The trial found a much smaller dose than the previously recommended 600mg would work, reducing the risk of side effects.
Professor Sir John Burn, from Newcastle University, said: “This tells us that aspirin can prevent bowel cancer at lower doses, minimising the chances of side-effects whilst offering vital protection for people with Lynch syndrome.
“Only a quarter of people with Lynch syndrome are currently taking aspirin and too many are missing out on a potentially life-changing opportunity to prevent cancer.”
Lynch syndrome is estimated to cause about one in every 33 bowel cancer cases in the UK.
Bowel tumours are one of the most common types, with 44,000 cases per year and 17,000 deaths.
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What are the red flag warning signs of bowel cancer?
IT’S the fourth most common cancer in the UK, the second deadliest – yet bowel cancer can be cured, if you catch it early enough.
While screening is one way of ensuring early diagnosis, there are things everyone can do to reduce their risk of the deadly disease.
Being aware of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, spotting any changes and checking with your GP can prove a life-saver.
If you notice any of the signs, don’t be embarrassed and don’t ignore them. Doctors are used to seeing lots of patients with bowel problems.
The five red-flag symptoms of bowel cancer include:
- Bleeding from the back passage, or blood in your poo
- A change in your normal toilet habits – going more frequently for example
- Pain or a lump in your tummy
- Extreme tiredness
- Losing weight
Tumours in the bowel typically bleed, which can cause a shortage of red blood cells, known as anaemia. It can cause tiredness and sometimes breathlessness.
In some cases bowel cancer can block the bowel, this is known as a bowel obstruction.
Other signs include:
- Gripping pains in the abdomen
- Feeling bloated
- Constipation and being unable to pass wind
- Being sick
- Feeling like you need to strain – like doing a number two – but after you’ve been to the loo
While these are all signs to watch out for, experts warn the most serious is noticing blood in your stools.
But, they warn it can prove tricky for doctors to diagnose the disease, because in most cases these symptoms will be a sign of a less serious disease.
